Hearts Entwine
by Renteka-Bond
Summary: 13 years ago, Konoha was devastated by the darkness. Now, Naruto and Sora have grown together, surviving innumerable disasters and heartaches. But, when the world decides to get serious, will they be strong enough to overcome their trials? Xover -Revised-
1. Hearts: Beginning

_A/N_: _It's been a long time coming, but I'm bringing it back. And, from now on, I plan(hope) to update at least once a week so, for anyone who cares, if I don't, you have every right to complain._

_Disclaimer: Unless stated otherwise, I own nothing but the concept to this story. This is my only disclaimer._

* * *

"Talking"

_Thinking_

_**Onomatopoeia!**_

**Jutsu/ Physical Technique**

"_Different Language"_

_Location_

**Flashback**

* * *

_The voices foretell of 5 children…_

_2 of Light…_

"I saw one that way; hurry!"

_2 of Darkness…_

"There's some more; get them now!"

_And one from the Interbetween…_

* * *

_Konoha: Business District_

"They're coming ba-aghhh!" Crimson life spewed from the corpse as it fell to the ground, lifeless and torn, his Konoha hitae-ite abandoned and forgotten in a nearby alley. Screeches of glee reverberated in the night sky as a pale pink sphere ascended into the sky, ebony puddles materializing and taking shape. The imp-like creatures danced their twisted dance, their inhumanly bright yellow eyes glistened and their maws snapped with bloodlust at the sight of the quivering Chuunin.

They leaped. And with a flash of silver, they were gone.

The man who had only recently been KIA reappeared, wide-eyed and shivering. "W, what just happe--"

_**Schling! **_His body fell in two halves, each one sloshing against the cold stone alley he'd slipped into and deteriorating.

Brushing a stray silvery lock from his teal eyes, the man who had dealt the blow sauntered forward. The inferior Chuunin split into 2 groups of four on either side of the road, opening a path for the assassin. They were afraid of him.

And when he spoke, the justifiably fearful men stood at attention. "Since you have been so kind to me…," his voice was smooth and calm, almost to the point of being cold and monotonous, "…I shall let you off easy. Just this once." And as his unspeakably long blade plunged into each of their skulls row by row, it brought about a bittersweet realization.

_This _was his definition of "letting you off easy"; a swift and near painless stab to the brain.

With a single swipe, his blade was clean and gleaming, the moon's radiance giving it an ethereal glow. Even the crows celebrated his magnificence, their piercing _caws _bellowing through the night. But there was something else that invaded the sword's persona. It was yellow and red and brown and gray all at the same time. Chancing a quick glance upwards, he saw that he was in front of Konoha's Medical Headquarters. Staring deeper into the blade's reflection, he smiled a devious smile. His target had been identified.

He deftly leapt to the side, avoiding a viciously electrified palm. He back-flipped over a feeble sword strike and countered with his own, his Masamune easily overcoming his gray-haired opponent's katana. He glared indignantly at this man- no; _boy_- who had dared to attack him.

Suddenly, he fell to his knees. It had been a mistake, he realized, to stare into the boy's demonic red eye. If it wasn't for his superior skill and speed, he would have fallen on that day.

He landed atop the hospital roof and positioned Masamune at his side. If the insolent boy followed, he would die. No questions asked.

A shriek erupted from the earth.

* * *

_Konoha: Outskirts_

In the forest behind the village, another, just as sinister battle was already being waged. Long, orange tails flailed around, reducing the once luscious flora to mere shrubbery. Commands echoed through the clearing.

"Attack from a distance! Don't get too close!" The Yondaime issued commands to his many subordinates. But to him, they were more than that. They were his dear friends, each one of them, and here they were sacrificing their lives for a losing battle. He let a tear fall as he looked upon the growing pile of corpses in front of him, and for the sacrifice he was about to make. Someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"Do not worry, Minato-dono. We are 100% behind you, no matter what you decide." It was Brasca. He was a self-proclaimed master in the arts of summoning and seals, although his abilities were no match for the Kyuubi's wrath. He was also one of Minato's best friends.

Smiling, Minato wiped his face. If he was going down, he would do it like a man.

His head began to throb, his temple pulsating. He could feel it; Death had arrived.

After a few minutes, the pain subsided enough to allow for coherent thought. "Brasca," His speech was strained and came out in gasps, "Get everyone out of here. Now!" Brasca acted immediately, twirling his staff and summoning the remainder of his energy._ Kakashi…where are you?! _

"Sephiroth…_ungh_…is here!"

* * *

_Konoha_

The situation in town had gone from bad to worse, the rapidly multiplying Shadows ever intangible to even their greatest abilities.

Somehow, they compressed their infantile forms into the ground and slithered towards their victims, stealing…something; something essential to existence. Kakashi learned this the hard way.

The lump in his throat pounded incessantly, his legs a blur beneath him. It was too late to turn back now. His incompetence had cost him more than could be replaced by genial means. The preciously unmarred bundle in his arms shifted and squirmed, whelping as if understanding his plight.

* * *

**Konoha: Outskirts**

"_Minato-sensei, you can't be serious!" I shouted, slamming my fist against 'Bunta's leathery scalp. "There has to be another--"_

"_NO!!" I fell to my knees and bowed hastily._

"_But Lord Braska, why?" He stopped waving his heavily jewel encrusted staff and turned to glare at me. He briskly grabbed both Rin, who had remained silent thus far, and myself and jumped off the great frog's back._

"_What are you--" The Daimyo threw us into a bush._

"_Quiet!" He interrupted me again and I had no choice but to do the one thing I was good at; I shut up and listened._

"_Listen…Kakashi…" He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "What else can he do? How would you feel if I were to take your son or daughter and condemn them to a life of desolation and loneliness?"_

"_But Sensei," I didn't understand, "Sensei said he'd be praised and honored as a hero."_

"_That should be the case, but--"_

"_But you should know firsthand how quickly attitudes change in this village." Rin spoke up for the first time._

"_Exactly. And as much as it pains me to do this, we have to."_

_I rose to my feet, "I still don't like this," and took off into the woods._

_----- _

_As we scaled the side of Konoha's border, I noticed a faint ringing sound, though I couldn't pinpoint its location. I flipped onto the roof and surveyed the village, as did Rin._

"_Whoa…" She muttered; I was speechless. It was as if the entire village had been enveloped in a dome of black. But that was impossible. I had no more time to think about it._

"_Let's go." Rin said. I nodded and followed her into the village. We jumped off the edging and I noticed on the way down that, other than the sky, the inside was as illuminated as it would be any other night, if not more so. Landing on a rooftop, I ran parallel to Rin as she directed us._

"_The hospital's northwest from our current location."_

"_Got it." A piercing scream broke through the night air, startling me and causing me to trip. Luckily, I caught myself in time and pushed off the ground, flipping over to the adjacent rooftop next to Rin. "That sounded like it came from the hospital." Rin simply nodded and picked up her pace, leaving me several paces behind her. I was still marveled at how much faster she was than me, though it most likely was due to her Inuzuka blood._

_The ringing in my ears had grown exponentially louder until it almost sounded comprehensible. But just ahead of me, Rin stopped at the edge of a slightly high-risen building just across the street from the hospital. I skidded to a halt beside her. "What is it?" She pointed a shaky finger to the side of the building, her eyes wide as noodle cups. I followed her gaze and my heart stopped. Suddenly the ringing in my ear clarified and I understood every word._

_Sors immanis…_

_Et inanis…_

"_No…It can't be!"_

_Sephiroth!_

_I clenched my teeth; my anger was getting the best of me. My hands slowly traveled up to my chest._

"_Kakashi, what are you--"_

"_Rin, get Naruto." I was adamant on getting him back; there was no way I would let him live after what he'd done. "He'll pay…" She grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me._

"_What do you think you're doing, idiot?! You can't beat him!" I was already halfway through the seals._

"_I have to try; otherwise I won't be able to look at myself without seeing _Him _again…." I lifted the bandage that covered my left eye and grimaced. It was now or never. "I'm asking you as a friend, Rin," I turned to her, my blaring red eye locked with her teal ones, and, with the utmost compassion I could muster, I asked; "Please?"_

_I did not, however, wait for her answer. I thrust my right arm out and, holding it steady with my left, I shouted, "__**Chidori,**__" and leaped off the roof, the electric storm held in my arm rocketing towards the unwary demon, Sephiroth. _

_But just before I made contact, he jumped to the side, dodging the blow completely. But I acted quickly, dissolving the Chidori mid-land and using my Anbu-regulated katana to slash at him. He dodged it with a proficient back-flip and countered me with his own strike, easily overpowering me in the deadlock. But I was far from down, not when I was so close. I used the Sharingan's hypnosis to stun him, though for how long, I was unsure. But in the brief moment he was down, I took my chance and, after parrying his sword away, thrust my own at his skull._

"_Dammit!" At the last moment, he jumped onto the roof. Now I had to think; do I follow him and risk dying or do I finish my mission? _On the one hand, I would regain my honor and possibly lose my life, but on the other hand, I could run like a coward now and save the rest villagers that haven't been destroyed by the Kyuubi, though Sephiroth would still be—

_A scream from my left shook me out of my thoughts. When I ran over to the front of the building, I was sure that my head was about to explode._

"_Rin, NO!!!" She was being overtaken by a mob of black…children? Or were they ants? Little yellow-eyed, childlike, black-as-night creatures with wobbly antennas is the best I can describe them. I leapt into action, delivering a vicious axe kick to the nearest one._

"_What!?" It missed! The creature somehow…melted into the ground and my foot fell into a puddle. I leapt backwards, my eyes welling up with tears. "Rin…I'm so…" I didn't know what to say. What could I say?_

_I averted my eyes and saw another group of people. There were 3 people in all; a young woman__with flaming red hair that was being carried by a youth with blue-gray hair, whose name escapes me, followed by a burly looking brunette with a large tomahawk, whose name also escapes me__. __They all seemed to be staring at the mob of creatures with an exceptional hardness__.__ I just couldn't help but look back, despite my aversion to it before. _

_It seemed like Kami was adamant on giving my eyes a workout today._

_The mob of creatures were circled around the spot that Rin occupied just seconds ago, but they seemed confused, almost as if they were searching for something. It wasn't 'til I looked closer that I saw the tiny blonde baby that lay wrapped in a baby blue blanket in the center of the circle._

_My mind was made up._

_I charged forward at top speed, left arm at the ready. _Sorry, Kushina-sama, but I have to do this. _Her shouts were drowned out by the beating of my heart as I adroitly jumped through the circle, scooped up the baby, and, after landing, took off as fast as I could._

* * *

_Konoha: Outskirts_

Kakashi replaced the bandage over his left eye. It was no longer necessary; he had reached his destination.

"Did you get him?" Minato asked as Kakashi landed on Gamabunta's head. Minato didn't turn around, nor acknowledge him in any other way.

"Yes, though it was a bit more difficult than planned." Kakashi looked around as he gently placed the baby behind the Hokage. "Where is everyone? Who will hold off the Kyuubi while you prepare?"

"I have issued a relief of duty. Everyone who is still alive is safely resting at Lord Braska's manor." Minato stared at the young Jounin out of the corner of his eyes, "Where is Rin?" Kakashi lowered his head.

"…I screwed up. I thought I could take him…but I blundered and it cost Rin her life." Minato gasped.

_So, it was just as I thought…_The giant toad moved forward, _"_Kakashi, go to the Hyuuga compound. I have a feeling that they'll need you." Nodding, Kakashi disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "It seems there'll be at least 2 orphans by the end of the day.

Minato fully turned around and rubbed his forehead. "_Sigh…_This has been one of the longest days of my life." Oddly, saying that brought an inappropriate smile to his face. _Just like when that bald kid came here. I guess our destinies were separate all along…Good times…_

"_**RAWRRRRRR!!!!!!!"**_ The Kyuubi howled in frustration, its tails deflecting the great toad's strikes and slashes. Naruto whelped in pain.

"Aw, shut up, ya old windbag." Minato ordered. If he was going to die, he wouldn't tolerate some overgrown kitty make his son cry. He scooped Naruto into his arms, lovingly rubbing his hair and whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

_Hurry up, old friend…time is running out…_

* * *

_Konoha: Hyuuga Compound_

Just outside the Hyuuga compound, Zack sliced through yet another shadow. He would protect the children no matter what. "Tifa, how you holdin' up?"

"**Seishou Bakufuu(Energy Blast)!!" **An amalgam of neon blue spheres of chakra destroyed a group of shadows as they appeared, a cloud of black wisps painting the sky an even darker shade of black. Sighing, Tifa dropped her stance and ran her hand through her long brown hair. She rolled her shoulders and rested her other hand on her hip.

"I'm just fine. It's not as if—_ugh!_" Tifa fell to her knees, clutching her chest and gasping for air. "Why…why now?" Zack fell to his knees, his blade falling to the side.

"Unacceptable," he muttered, scrambling to pick himself back up, "For Sephiroth to be here now…is simply," Zack finally regained his footing and growled, "UNACCEPTABLE!!" He took off, accidentally leaving his sword behind.

"Zack, stop!"

"WHOA!" He tripped over a rock and crashed into a group of trash cans. He came up rubbing his spiky black hair. "What's the big idea, Aerith?"

"Where do you think you're running off to, mister?" Aerith interrogated, irked by her husband's lack of focus.

"I have to help Cloud! He can't beat him alone!"

"What makes you so sure that that's where he is?" Zack's face contorted into a half-witted stare and his tongue drooped.

"Duh! Why else wouldn't he be here? His kid's right over there." Zack pointed at the three children that sat next to her, red, blue, and brown-haired respectively. Aerith glared at him before facing Tifa, whose face was awash with indecision.

"Go ahead, Tifa, we'll be fine." Tifa shook her head.

"I can't just leave you guys here to fight these things by yourselves!"

"Well then, it's a good thing we're here, right, Squall?

"Shut up! I told you my name is 'Leon'!"

"Oh, shove it, you two!" A trio of children leapt off the roof of a nearby building. Two of them were boys, one with short blond hair and a scar across the bridge of his nose, the other with long brown hair and a scar to match his companion's. The last one was a scrawny-looking girl with medium length black hair.

"But you guys can't handle these things. You're just kids!" Out of nowhere, a faint squishing sound erupted behind Tifa, sending her jumping forward a good 3 feet. When she turned to see who it was, she was just the tiniest bit relieved. "Phew, Kakashi, you scared me."

Kakashi stood erect and sheathed his blade. "You'd better hurry, Tifa-san, before it's too late." Aerith rose her hand methodically.

"Ooh, Kakashi, how are Kushina and the Hokage?" Kakashi averted his gaze

"…I don't know, Fea-san…Hey, what are you three doing here?" He asked, pointing at the three.

"That's beside the point, Kakashi-sempai. Now would you hurry up, Tifa?" The quiet storm muttered.

Tifa looked up into the sky, grimacing at its unnatural hue._ Cloud… _"Sora…"

"What?"

"That's his name… Sora…" And she jumped towards the place where the massive chakra was cultivating.

Zack sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his head. "You know, now that I think about it, maybe sending a woman who just had her baby, _ehhh_, wasn't the smartest thing to do." The rest of the group sweatdropped as well. Hearing a cry, followed by gurgling and clapping coming from behind them, they turned.

"Awwww…" The red haired baby was clapping and gurgling, as the newly named Sora was laying atop a shadow, baby spit dripping down the side as he sucked on the head of the shadow.

"Oh, man, where's a camera when you need it?" Kakashi searched threw his pockets as Seifer lowered his head.

"Oh, yeah, when he helps, it's cute. And you say we're too young….Hey, what's going on with that other baby?" Aerith shrieked as she saw the blunette baby crying and bleeding from her chest.

"Hinata!" She grabbed the baby and poured green chakra into the wound, closing it up. The ground rumbled and a cloud of dust picked up.

"WHERE'S MY BABY!!"

"Ummm, right here, sir." The black-haired girl picked up the blue-haired baby and handed her to Hiashi.

"Oh, thank you, Rinoa."

"Well, actually, it was--" She didn't get to finish as a new figure had risen from the darkness. It was 2 stories tall, and a large gap was missing from its chest in the shape of a heart. Black hair-like tendrils rested atop its head.

"Aerith, you and Hiashi take the babies and get into the compound."

"But what about-"

"Don't worry about it lady, we can handle it. You just get to safety." Leon spoke up. "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning)!!" **He slammed his palm to the ground and a cloud of smoke poofed into existence. As the smoke cleared, a grandiose, full maned lion took its place.

"You called?"

"Yeah. We need your help, Mufasa." He directed the Lion King over to Aerith. Nodding, he expanded to allow the woman, Hiashi, and the three babies to ride him.

"Do you want me to get the other one?"

"The other one?" The lion nodded over to a shady corner of the wall, where a tiny little boy lay passed out on the ground.

"I can't believe we didn't even see him. Yes, take him too." With help from Aerith, Mufasa was able to carry the boy away as well.

The giant grew impatient and slammed his fist into the ground, barely missing the now airborne ninja. And as Kakashi charged his **Chidori**, he found that was focus was not on the battle at hand, but rather the mysterious boy that they had somehow managed to miss. _I didn't feel him at all…Who is that boy?_

* * *

_Konoha: Hospital Roof_

Sephiroth stared out over the edge of the balcony, watching with a passive disinterest as the pathetic weaklings scrambled on the village floor. "What a pity that boy got away. I was hoping for at least a little bit of a challenge, seeing how I came all this way…" His face lit up with a malevolent flared and he twisted his blade to the side. "Though I suppose you'll be more than enough for now…right, Cloud." Cloud landed squarely on his feet and glared at the bane of his existence.

"Sephiroth…" They simply stared at one another, each one unrelenting and unwavering. Cloud removed his massive blade from the strap on his specially modified Anbu gear and, after pulling the mask away from his face, got into his battle stance, his blade proudly held parallel to his body.

Sephiroth's demeanor grew serious and his chakra flared wildly. "I believe it's time we end this little game of tag…"

"What, no monologue this time?" Cloud quipped, "Damn…." Growling, Sephiroth charged forward.

Spinning, Cloud blocked the Masamune and parried it to the side. Using the momentum from the blade, he spun again, this time kicking Sephiroth in the chest, which was followed by a sweep kick. Seeing his opportunity, Cloud swung his massive sword downward, attempting to cut his opponent in two. But his positioning was too awkward for the blade to fall fast enough and at the last second, he blocked the strike and rebounded away from the blond. They swung madly at each other, their swords mere blurs as they collided and reverberated off each other, the sparks catching onto the nearby electrical equipment and setting them ablaze.

Jumping back, Sephiroth's upper body grew a blue-ish aura and the skies darkened ever more. Cloud was caught unprepared for the for the onslaught of slashes and gashed he received from the sonic blows that rained upon him.

Cloud feebly tried to block, resulting in his sword being blasted 20 feet in the air. Sephiroth lifted his sword, intending a death blow.

_**BLAM!**_He was sent sailing by Tifa's monstrous kick. Cloud fell back and sighed, glad for the help. Good thing he did too, he reckoned, as his sword had fallen back down, blade first, landing dangerously close to his nads.

"Sssssssss…." He hissed.

"Oh, buck up….You ready?"

"…Yeah…" He stood up and pulled his sword out of the ground, pouring green chakra into it.

"His name's Sora, you know." Cloud chuckled.

"Oh, yeah? And how long did it take you to come up with that?" She punched him in the arm.

"Shut up! It's not like you could do any better."

His chuckle slowed and eventually stopped. "Heheheh. You're right…it's perfect." _No matter how hard they try…the clouds will never surpass the sky…'_ He looked back down at his opponent, who was glowing a harsh pink.

Tifa grabbed the bottom half of the handle, pouring in her own chakra, and they charged forward, in perfect sync, and collided with Sephiroth, creating a swirling vortex of yellow light that broke through the darkness and spiraled all the way up to the heavens…

* * *

_Konoha: Hyuuga Compound_

Kakashi and crew had managed fairly well against the giant, mainly due to Zack's abilities and his **Chidori**. But the kids did have their use; the stupid thing summoned wave after wave of shadows, repetitiously replacing each defeated one with two more.

But now they were all tired and chakra drained, while the creature stood strong, despite missing a few limbs. Suddenly, it erupted in a blue light, which spiraled and ascended to the sky.

* * *

_Konoha: Outskirts_

Minato lie on his back, looking straight into the sky, his baby sleeping peacefully next to him, wrapped in his jacket. Hearing footsteps, he looked over and smiled warmly.

"Ahh, so you finally made it, old friend." He chuckled weakly.

"…You did it, didn't you?"

"Don't worry about it, Mick-o, I did what I had to. I only wanted my boy to live happily here, as a hero. I have no regrets." A red light erupted around them, swirling and hazardous on the outside, yet surprisingly warm on the inside.

"Naruto…Uzumaki…"

"Now is not the time to be talking about food, Mina. We're losing you."

"It's his name, Mickey. Tell that to Saru-jii for me, ok? I don't know what his name is, but he has a family…ask Kakashi. If the time comes…when the time comes…let them do what they have to do, as well. If they're anything like their parents, they'd be pissed if you didn't." The 3 beams of light bent to form at a center and mixed together to form a door, encased in a golden aura. Its doors opened wide, and the skies were filled with black.

"Well…I guess this goodbye. Say goodbye to Goofy and Donald for me, will ya? They were always good for a laugh..." His body rose into the slowly rose into the air as he gave in to death.

"You be a good boy…alright?"

Naruto…

* * *

_13 years later…_

* * *

_Konoha: Uzumaki Apartment_

_Come on!_

Naruto slowly cringed awake, his fist a trembling well of anger. _Why did he have to pick this one? _He was so tired, though, that his anger quickly diminished.

_Owareru youni isoi de iru  
__Kawai ta mune ga kari tateru no sa  
__Hitokiwa tsuyoku kagayaku hoshi wa  
__Ima mo tooku ni aru_

Grumbling, he kicked the covers off and threw his feet over the side of the bed. He removed his fuzzy hat and yawned throatily. His nose twitched as he sniffed around for any edible smell nearby. His stomach grumbled disappointedly. "Sorry, stomach." He rubbed it tenderly, a weary frown plastered on his face.

_Ushinatte yuku mot--_

_**Click!**_

"Stupid alarm clock…" Naruto pushed off the bed and headed for the living room.

"Did you sleep ok, Naruto? You sound angry." His brother commented from his desk as he entered the room. Naruto scowled.

"You know I hate that song, Sora!" He yelled, smacking Sora in the back of the head. Sora simply laughed. Ignoring him, Naruto made his way into the kitchen. "So, how long have you been awake?"

Sora removed the objects on the desk and placed them into a knapsack. And in their place, he rested an old, worn out sword that was much too large for him to handle. "I've been up for a while, finishing up my project to show to the old man this afternoon."

"Why don't you just show it to him now?" Naruto asked as he exited the kitchen with a bowl of cereal in his hands. Sora spun his chair around and gaped incredulously.

"Don't tell me you forgot?"

"What…is it my birthday?" Sora shook his head. Naruto scratched his forehead. "Well then, what--" He reached for his head again and rubbed his hand against the fine-inscripted metal. Pulling it off, he shrieked. "WHAT?! You mean it's--"

"Yep," Sora stood and beamed proudly at his older brother, "Today's the day we officially become Gennin!"

* * *

_A/N_: _So, there you go, Chapter 1 V.2. As you can see, it's a lot better than the original._

_The song for Naruto's alarm clock was the beginning of the 1st opening to NARUTO. Don't worry, I don't expect anyone to know the Lyrics, nor do I care for them. I'm still on the rocks about what language to put the jutsu in, but lyrics-wise, I kept it original, just for the moment. Most, if any, songs will be in English._


	2. Hearts: One Step Forward

"Talking"

_Thinking_

_**Onomatopoeia!**_

**Jutsu/ Physical Technique**

"_Different Language"_

_Location_

**Flashback**

**

* * *

**

**Last Time**

"_What…is it my birthday?" Sora shook his head. Naruto scratched his forehead. "Well then, what--" He reached for his head again and rubbed his hand against the fine-inscripted metal. Pulling it off, he shrieked. "WHAT?! You mean it's--"_

"_Yep," Sora stood and beamed proudly at his older brother, "Today's the day we officially become Gennin!"

* * *

_

_Konoha Academy, Room 201_

Iruka sat behind his desk and rubbed his eyes sorely, amazed by the sheer quantity of documents strewn across it. He sighed, "A lot of graduates this year… I hope Ale does well… "A knock on the window moved his attention away from the myriad of script on the desktop. "Ahh, Hokage-sama, what a pleasant surprise."

The old man walked over and pulled up a chair, seating himself opposite the teacher. From his sleeves, he withdrew a long, tightly wound bundle. "No need for formalities, my friend, we are the only ones here."

"Oh, well, S-sarutobi-san…what brings you here?" he questioned hesitantly, struggling to hide his interest in the wraps..

Sarutobi chuckled lightly, "It is concerning the Gennin placements. I don't think it would be wise to put Naruto and Sora on the same team." He silenced Iruka with a wave of his hands. "Also, do not place Sora and Riku on the same team either. Putting those two on the team may be more dangerous than beneficial." The scarred ninja nodded in understanding.

"I've already thought of that and I've taken the necessary precautions." The Sandaime smiled proudly.

"Well then, it seems my fears were groundless," the aged shinobi stood to leave.

"Actually, sir, since you're here, there are a few teams I'm still having trouble with and I was wondering: what would you like me do about the Uchiha, and the Hyuuga as well? You know of her condition."

"Yes, I am well aware. Although Sasuke needs to be placed with Kakashi for his Doujutsu training, Kakashi has strongly insisted that Naruto be placed on his team. So, regardless of Paine's request, placing the two together would be the same as condemning the girl to death." A loud clatter rang in the air and a broken stool fell from the top row. A boy rose from the aisle, rubbing his silver-blanketed head as he arched his back.

"Crap," the boy cursed, turning to face the two adults. His pain was forgotten as he asked, "What do you mean we can't be on the same team? And what's this about a request?" The Hokage chuckled heartily, retrieving and lighting his pipe as he did so.

"Ah, Riku. I was wondering when you'd show yourself," He slid his attention back to the instructor, "Now Iruka, as I was saying; whichever student you have left will be just fine."

"Hey, don't change the subject!" Riku shouted upon deaf ears.

"Well, there is Sakura, though I don't think--"

"Perfect! Then it's settled; Sakura will be the third member of Kakashi's team," he pushed his chair in and headed for the door. As he slid he wooden frame to the side, he stopped. Returning to the desk, he grabbed the bundle and threw it carefully to the boy, "A present; from your father." Riku's eyes widened in shock.

"W…what?" he immediately went to work on the wraps, but a thin brown finger stopped him. He looked up, puzzled. Sarutobi waved his finger.

"Ah ah ah, not until you get home. Ok?" He was reluctant, but, eventually, Riku nodded. Satisfied, Sarutobi puffed a ring of smoke and made for the door yet again and, with a wink and a wave, he was gone. It wasn't too long after that the classroom began to fill with other students and their respective noises, though, to Riku, there was nothing no sound that could silence the joy in his heart.

* * *

_Konoha: Uzumaki Apartment_

"You can't be serious…how could I forget…?" Naruto whispered. Sora beamed even brighter.

"Well, it's true!" Naruto's head dropped, as did Sora's smile. Sora walked forward and extended his hand. "Naruto, are you--"

"WHOOHOO!!" Naruto's shouts of glee echoed throughout the entire village, giving one pineapple-headed Chuunin a vague prediction of his overall day. _Oh Naruto…_

Sora took his hands off of his ears and glared at the blond ball of energy. "Do you have to be so loud?" Naruto waved him off, dumping his bowl of cereal in the sink and rushing for the bathroom.

"I'm too happy to be quiet!" Naruto shouted from the back of the apartment. Sora simply nodded in resignation and, after strapping his sword to his back, returned to his desk, opening the uppermost drawer on the left and removed a roll of medical tape. Hitting the side of the desk with his foot, the top drawer closed and the bottom drawer opened. He retrieved a dark blue pouch.

"So, how do I look?" Sora turned and faced his brother uncertainly; it wasn't the first time Naruto'd attempted to change his look, though they'd all ended the same; he would inevitably revert back to his old orange getup.

"You know..." Sora paused to inspect the outfit thoroughly. It was very similar to his original outfit, he realized, though it wouldn't have been noticed by a stranger. The shoulders, elbows, wrists, and pant cuffs were and the rest of the outfit, other than the poofy black collar, was blue. Sora tossed the kunai pouch to Naruto "…that actually doesn't look too bad." Naruto nabbed it in the air midway through a victory leap.

"You really think so? Sweet!" He shouted as he strapped the pouch to his right leg. Sora nodded as he out the front door that Naruto had opened, lazily throwing the knapsack over his shoulders. Wrapping the tape around his arms, he smirked as Naruto locked the door.

"Yep. In fact, it reminds me a little bit of Sasuke…" Sora giggled maliciously as Naruto's cheeks flushed a bright red and his left eye began to twitch, "First you kiss him, and then you start dressing like him--"

"I was tripped, I swear! You were there!"

"Nope, nope, no need to hide it; I won't judge." Naruto punched him in the arm as they headed into town. Sora chuckled lightly as he rubbed his arm, "But, boy wasn't that an interesting Tuesday…" Naruto nodded in agreement, his hands shoved behind his head, an action Sora mimicked.

It was rather quiet today, Sora noticed as they strolled down the street. Usually, the business side of town was full of boutiques and markets distributing goods and cheer like clockwork, the occasional glare being sent their way as they attempted to make purchases (which Sora thought, was rather stupid, as it simply cost them the extra revenue in the end). But there wasn't a single soul to be seen, nor a tiny chirp of sound to be heard. Yet, behind him, a distinctly familiar signature resonated in the air.

_Something isn't right… _Sora turned to his brother, "Naruto, do you--"

"Y'know what really bugs me? Last night, I don't even remember going to sleep. Weird, huh?" Sora answered calmly, but remained on his guard.

"You don't remember? Last night, you were…" Realization dawned upon him instantly; why it was so silent, why nobody was around; it was a trap! Sora tackled Naruto to the ground.

"Get down!" Sora shouted. Seconds later, a giant shuriken ripped through the space they'd previously occupied and sailed into a nearby Dango shop. The boys covered their ears and crouched down to avoid the impending wreckage. But there was nothing, not a crack or crunch to be heard. Sora uncurled himself and glared at the shop with disdain. He brought his to his chest and formed a seal.

"Release!" he shouted, pumping chakra into his fingertips and dispelling. As he turned to give Naruto a hand, he surveyed the surroundings. They'd wound up in a field, one that they'd been familiar with, off-hand, for its relative emptiness. It was more suited for sparring, rather than actual training. _Or a deathmatch _Sora mooted grimly as Naruto removed a fresh kunai from his pouch.

"You bastard," he growled, "Show yourself!"

Taking the calmer approach, Sora closed his eyes and brought his hand to his chest, just over his heart. He knew exactly where their pursuer was hiding. Now, it was simply a matter of finding the closest and best support.

"Find anyone yet?" he heard Naruto ask. From the sound of his voice, he was getting anxious, which was understandable as the near constant _Clang-_ing of metal was evidence to, though, if Sora's detection skills were as honed as he thought they were, then he didn't have much need to be worried.

"Yes, but it wasn't the right person." He could feel Naruto's estranged stare, but no words were exchanged. Sora turned to where he assumed the residential area would be, were it not for the sea of trees that isolated the field.

He grinned.

Opening his eyes, he grabbed Naruto by the shoulder and pointed, "Get going!" The blond nodded and took off into the thicket. Still grinning, Sora slapped his rump tauntingly before racing after his brother, "Catch me if you can, Kiki-chan!" The dull _Thunk_ of shuriken rang throughout the field as a misaligned-looking Chuunin bound across it. "You won't escape, you damned vermin!" Mizuki shouted into the woods. He was delirious.

Zipping through the forest, Naruto questioned the situation. "What does Mizuki want with me?" Sora split around a tree and vaulted over a fallen trunk before reprimanding his brother.

"Quit playing, Naruto, this isn't funny. How could you forget something so--" Just as the light began to break through the forest wall, Naruto leapt over and knocked him away, sending Sora through the wall at the cost of his own motion.

"Watch out!" Sora heard him shout, just before several disheartening_**Thunk**_-s and a relieving poof. Rolling into a crouch, Sora placed his hand over his chest again, immediately relocating his target. Whirling to face the numerous houses, he used the hilltop that marked the doorway to the woods as a perch and scanned the land. After spotting his friend a row of buildings away, the bright auburn hair a dead giveaway, he ran to the bottom of the hill and leapt over the only building between him and salvation. The redheaded girl gasped in surprise before sighing in relief when she recognized him.

"Phew, Sora, you scared--"

"Kairi, where's your dad?" Kairi's face morphed from relief to subtle aggravation.

"You know, it's a bit annoying when someone pops out of nowhere, then ignores the person the popped in front of." Sora grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Kairi; where is your dad?" She didn't say anything, the seriousness in his voice startling. She seemed to be searching his face before she shrugged and answered simply:

"I don't know." Sora dropped his arms dejectedly. "He never came home last night…" Sora turned around and cupped his chin. Kairi crept in front of him and leaned forward inquisitively, peering at his face in an attempt to decipher the situation. "What's going on?" Sora patted his leg anxiously as he rubbed his chin slowly.

Suddenly, Sora leapt into a scouring stance, sending Kairi to the ground in shock. "You dastard! She's not a part of this!" The other residents of the common class district that roamed the streets began to stare. Sora clenched his fists. "Come on." He ordered, eliciting a _Hmph _from the girl. Sora grumbled and stamped his foot determinately; as much as he liked it when she acted feisty, now was definitely not the time. He hated having to pull this card, but it was necessary. "I'm your superior, so do as I say!" Kairi mimicked his actions, stamping her feet in a similar manner.

"NO! Not until you tell me wha--"

"Ugh, shut up!" Sora scooped the protesting girl into his arms and, pulling her as close to his body as possible, rolled away, dodging three enhanced, oversized shuriken as they tore through an innocent bystanders home. But still, Sora noticed, he would not reveal himself. Kairi still safely in his arms, he rushed down the road.

"Kairi, where's Naruto?" At this point, she was more than willing to do what he asked. Placing her hand over her heart and, after a few seconds, she gave him the location.

"He's just outside Ichiraku's…" Sora chuckled, despite himself.

"Only Naruto…" Sora increased his speed.

"Uh, Sora…?"

"Yeah?" Sora replied.

"You're going the wrong way."

Sora came to a screeching halt, literally etching his size 12's into the stone road. He chuckled nervously. "Eh heh heh…ugh…" Taking care not to step on her long yellow scarf, he turned around and took off double time, the state of affairs worsening as the minutes flew by.

Getting to his brother was the easy part, as it was still relatively early compared to when they'd usually greet the day. It was deciding their course of action that would be difficult. As long as Mizuki stayed hidden, he had the advantage. And as long as he suspected that they were aware, he would stay in hiding. And, on the other hand, they could attempt to confront him which, in plain view of the citizens, would be impossible, as would isolating themselves from others, which had the highest possibility of lethal injury. It was a lose-lose situation, each choice requiring massive amounts of luck that he was positive they didn't have.

Unfortunately, his time was up, as the Ramen shop (and by association, Naruto) came into view. _Now or never _He supposed. As he began to slow down, another signature crept into his range, though putting an exact name on it would be impossible for one unfamiliar with the person.

"So, did you lose him?" Naruto asked, confused as to why Kairi was in his arms.

"Yeah, a little bit ago," Kairi stared at him oddly, "But, unfortunately, I couldn't find Zack-san. As if we even needed him in the first place; Mizuki's an idiot. First, he tries to steal the scroll up in the Hokage's office, and then, he gets beaten up by a little kid. Pitiful." Naruto scratched the side of his head, puzzled.

"Seriously, what are you--" The two signatures suddenly converged onto their spot, Sora roughly grabbing his passenger by the head and slammed her into his chest, leaving Naruto completely defenseless against the assault.

Naruto froze, his vision an amalgam of red and grainy steel. His breath hitched as he slowly ran two fingers across his slippery face. _Blood… _He stared ahead unblinkingly.

Kairi still firmly in place, Sora glanced backwards apprehensively. Sora breathed a sigh of relief before a sharp pain struck his abdomen. "Yowch!" Kairi slid out of his arms and caught herself crab-style before forcing herself to stand. Sora groaned as he rubbed his sore stomach.

"What's the big idea?" Kairi grouched. Sora fell forward, still clutching his center. She gasped, "Sora, your back! You're bleeding! She reached into his bag, which had slid off at some point, and fumbled through it.

"I applaud you, Mizuki, for evading us for so long. But…" Kairi, startled by the voice, dropped the bag, wincing as the glass inside of it crashed to the ground. Tracking the origins of the voice, she inhaled sharply. _Dad.._

Zack shoved the traitor and removed his blade from its temporary sheath. He flicked the blade clean, leaving large red stains on the ramen shop's curtains, and returned it to its home on his back, "You screwed yourself over the moment you tried to kill Naruto." Mizuki hit the ground hard, the thin hole in his stomach bleeding profusely. Out of nowhere, two oddly dressed Anbu, a male in basic Jounin gear and a female in a strange blue jacket that trailed to her knees, appeared.

"What do we do with him?" The male asked lazily, his spiky grey hair bobbing slightly as he lifted the wounded Chuunin to his feet. Zack sighed and rubbed his face.

"Get'm patched up, then just…take him to Ibiki…" he drawled. The two Anbu nodded and seemingly disappeared, a slight gush of wind the only indication that they had moved. Zack turned to Naruto and put his hands on his hips. "You alright, Naruto? That isn't your blood, right? …Naruto?" His inquiry was met with a blank stare, the boy's bright blue eyes a beacon in the sea of red that was his face. Zack rubbed his neck nervously before slapping the kid on the back, chuckling as the kid phased back into reality. "Sorry 'bout that. I guess I should be more careful, haha…" Naruto grumbled and crossed his arms, sending a defiant glare at the drowsy looking Anbu.

"Yeah, why don't you try that next time?" He fumed, attempting to wipe the drying blood from his face, which yielded little results, leaving an embarrassing empty space on his nose. "Is it off?"

"Uh, y, yeah, all off…" Sora trailed uncertainly as he recovered from the unwarranted attack, sending a lighthearted glare to the confused kunoichi. Shrugging, Sora picked up his fallen knapsack (and subsequently, his sword) and gazed into it, releasing a satisfied sigh before hoisting it onto his back. "Just as I thought," he whispered, strapping the sword to his waist and throwing his hands into his jacket pockets, in no particular rush to leave.

Kairi stepped forward and, ignoring the brunet, glared at her father, her hands resting furiously at her waist.

"So _this _is what you were doing all night! You could've told us that you were gonna be gone all day!" Zack visibly winced. He chuckled nervously and threw his hands up in surrender.

"S,sorry, Kai. But you know how busy it gets sometimes and--"

"You had me worried! And you didn't even tell me beforehand!"

"Well, what do you--" Whatever he had been about to say was cut away as the oddly dressed woman returned, whipping up an odorless burst of smoke as she approached her officer.

"Sir, the Hokage would like to have a word with. He said to report to his office immediately." Zack exhaled and smirked, happy to be off the hook, if only for a few hours; he would have to go home sometime.

"Well, you heard the lady, see ya later, babe!" And then he was gone, leaving an exasperated redhead in his wake. She twirled around and huffed away, her boots smacking roughly against the street as she marched to the academy, which was just around the corner from the stand. Shrugging, Naruto simply trailed behind her, his pace subtly increasing as the first vestiges of life began to emerge from their homes. Offering a single nod, Sora rushed to keep up.

"Thank you, Anbu-san!" He called back; to no one, he later realized._ Always on duty _he figured depressingly. But, as quickly as it dropped, his smile curved upwards, a prideful smirk painting his face. _And soon, so will we…_

_

* * *

__Konoha Academy, Room 201_

They were just outside now, he knew. He could see them in the courtyard threw the large window beside his head. And even though the classroom was on the first floor, his seat was situated higher than ground level, giving him a clearer view of the land than the other students. But it wasn't like he needed the window to see them, anyway; he could feel them, had felt them as they'd flounced around town all morning. Removing his hand from his chest, Riku threw his head back in annoyance, his feet interlaced on the hardwood desk.

It should have been him running around town, fixing whatever problem it was that ailed them. It was his job; Ale said so himself. But then Sasuke showed up, which, under normal circumstances, shouldn't have bothered. Yet, alas, today was not a normal day, therefore, the most elite members of his posse, the loudest and most obedient of his "fangirls", as Sora'd once put it, were more than jubilated at the sight of the raven-haired boy. And this jubilation, which continued to clamor at this very moment, had distracted and weakened his perception, hence why he was in here, and not outside with his friends.

But at least he wasn't alone. Though he himself was the first to class, as usual, several other students had arrived before Sasuke and were suffering as well, most noticeably Fuu, who, even more fiercely than Sasuke himself, was literally shaking to extinguish the overzealous flame of flapping gums and scratchy voices that blended into an unseemly, indistinguishable hiss.

It was no surprise, then, when Ino and Sakura, who were, sadly, the two most elite members of Sasuke's fan club, came rushing into the room, their voices drowning out the previous hiss and replacing it with their own as they struggled to get into class first. And he'd swear on his life that, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Sasuke shudder.

_Only one more hour _Riku sympathized, before he'd remembered what had transpired when he'd arrived earlier that morning, _Unless Iruka really does…_ He suddenly found himself deep in thought, his hand subconsciously gripping the bundle on his lap as the morning's events blocked out whatever clatter had found its way into the classroom.

* * *

_Konoha Academy, Courtyard_

_Left…right…left…right… _The mantra rang in his head as the iron dummy twisted and bucked under his fists. The dummy rested on a pedestal to the far-left of the front gate, just a few feet of the large oak tree and the swing set that had been and would be used in years past and yet to come.

Throwing one last punch, Zell spun around in a wide arc, arching his back and, lifting his left leg, assaulted the dummy with his foot. _Left, right! Left, right! _

As he alternated feet every six kicks, his mantra hastened, his chakra pumping a steady stream of strength into his right arm._ Today's the day…_he thought. Ever since he'd enrolled into the academy four-and-a-half years ago, it had been his goal to break the dummy; using his _own _strength. So with one last kick, Zell, using the momentum from his kicks, slid back a foot, cocked his arm back and, in one solid motion, rammed his fist into the dummy, _I'm takin' you down!_

But it didn't break. Zell yelped in pain as he cupped his injured hand with his stomach and surveyed the damage.

For all the work he'd put into it, he'd only barely been able to dent it. _It's not even a big dent…damn it…_. He kicked up a little cloud of dust and shoved his hands into his pockets. Sighing sadly, he muttered, "Aw well. Better get to class…" Giving the dummy one last look, he promised, "One day…"

-----

As he strolled through the hallways, he was surprised to see Sora, who was facing him, Naruto, who had his back turned to him, his attention focused on what ever it was that Sora was saying, and Kairi, who didn't appear interested in their conversation in the least, standing just outside the door. Zell cleared his throat as Kairi reached for the sliding door frame.

"When did you guys get here?" Zell asked. Sora paused mid-sentence and, peering around his brother's head, greeted the blond.

"What're you talking about? We called you like six times!" Zell tilted his head in confusion.

"But I didn't feel you at all," he muttered as he scratched the side of his single spiked head.

"Well, you were hittin' the dummy pretty hard. You must've been pretty serious, because we were practically in front of you before we gave up," Naruto added, finally turning around to face him. Zell leapt in surprise as he noted the two columns of blood on the other blond's face. "What's up?" Naruto asked.

"Uh, you got a little," Zell pointed to his chin. Naruto responded with a smack to his own. "No, like, on your face, there's some…," Naruto repeatedly smacked his face.

"Aghh, get it off, get it off!" Naruto screamed in a panic. Zell sighed incredulously.

"Neverm--" Suddenly, a loud pop rang out from the classroom. Kairi threw the door open and they rushed inside. It was, sadly, unsurprising to see Fuu lying on her knees at the bottom of the stairs, her back arched in what they assumed was pain, as Sakura fawned over Sasuke in the middle row of the stadium-style seats.

Sora immediately ran over and assisted Iruka as he lifted the blue-gray haired kunoichi off the ground. She shook them off as soon as she was stable and, gritting her teeth, gripped her right arm, which was slightly bent to the side. "Bitch" He heard her mutter under her breath.

It wasn't difficult to see what had happened.

"What happened?" Zell asked as he and Kairi walked over. Naruto was nowhere to be found.

Sora pointed to the upper-leftmost corner of the room, "Since we didn't see her, Sakura must've come from the upstairs entrance. And when she came in she must've seen Sasuke and…pushed Fuu…down…oh man." His attention on the brooding Uchiha, his explanation was cut short when his eyes glanced over Naruto, who was crouched atop the desk with his nose practically conjoined with Sasuke's. Sora also took note of the wide-gesturing student in the seat directly below his brother. "This…can't end well…"

-----

Naruto growled as the Uchiha coolly ignored him. "...Sasuke…" _What's so great about him?_ Sasuke shifted his attention from the dusty window and, with a malicious tint, threatened the blond.

"I swear, Uzumaki, if you don't move right now--"

"How do you do it?" Naruto interrupted, the snarl ever present on his face. Sasuke's gaze twisted from annoyed to puzzled.

"What?" Naruto crossed his arms and squinted.

"How is it that you get to be such a prick and--" Whatever was to be said next would have to wait, as, out of nowhere, Naruto fell forward, his scrunched frame seemingly magnetized to the raven-haired boy's body. Acting quickly, he used whatever smidgen of balance left in his footing and jumped. "Not this time!"

He sighed in relief as he flipped through the air, but his relief was short-lived, as his feeble jump had only managed to get him so far. He crashed into the row above and fell to the floor, kicking Sasuke in the back of the head in the process. Rubbing his head, Naruto stood and groaned in pain.

"Aw, man, are you ok?" A squirrelly voice asked from behind him. Naruto nearly jumped over the desk to shove his finger in the boy's face, his neck pain forgotten. The boy threw his arms up in defeat and chuckled nervously. His skin was of a light, brownish hue and his brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail.

"You bastard," Naruto shouted, causing the boy to flinch, "What's your freakin' problem?!"

"Ah!" he squeaked, "I'm sorry. It was an accident."

"Accident, my ass!" Naruto interjected. He brought his hand back and curled it into a fist and, just as he was about to bring it down, a _**Pop!**_, then two _**Pop!**_'s, and, finally, a series of _**Pop!**_'s passed through his eardrums and froze his anger, cooling it over with a wave of fear. The once frightened boy below him coolly slid back into his seat, a smug grin on his face. Shakily, Naruto turned to the aisle, where Sasuke's fangirls cracked theirs knuckles in unison, death in their eyes. "S-S-Sakura-chan," he stuttered, which only agitated them further.

"Naaa-ruuuu-toooo!" Said Gennin covered his head and fell to the floor, awaiting the oncoming pain as the group charged him. But it never came. Naruto spared a solitary glance and came face-to-face with the good side of a high-heel; as in, not kicking him in the face. He followed the shade-black footwear upwards to its wearer and, when he saw who it was, gasped.

"Paine?!" She grunted in acknowledgement and crossed her arms abreast. Blowing a dull gray strand of hair out of her eyes, she stomped the back of her heel onto the floor, commanding the attention of the petrified mob.

"What's going on here?" She asked, her bloody-red eyes tracing back and forth between the crowd; the classroom was at a standstill. At first, none of the girls stepped up and said anything. Then, one of the girls in the back stepped up, her sporadic brown hair poking her comrades as she passed. The girl shoved a finger in Paine's face.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked angrily, "You aren't even in this--" The argument was lost, though, as a simple glare sent the girl packing.

"Anyone else?" A unanimous shake told it all. "Now sit!" she commanded, and they frantically obeyed, as one expected of sick puppies such as they. Paine turned to Naruto and abruptly groaned in annoyance, "Not you!" Her eyes widened as, on the top row, a petite giggle called attention to itself. But when she looked at the producer, the merriment ended. An awkward smile found its way onto her face, a nervous chuckle escaping from her throat as the blushing girl anxiously turned to the side, pushing her indexes together and avoiding Paine's gaze. "Hi…Hinata," she stuttered, startling the younger kunoichi.

"Uh…uh…umm…,"

"Nice job, Aches; you scared her." Paine's scowl returned in aces, directed at Riku, who countered with a smirk.

"Go to hell, Riku."

"Ladies first."

"Guess I'll see you later," she finished, spinning her chair onto its hind legs and plopping down onto it. She slammed her feet on the table.

Out of nowhere, Sora landed on Riku's desk and crouched. For a second, he glanced back at the grey-haired girl. Turning to his friend, he asked: "Riku, do we have to hear this everyday?" It was starting to get old. Ever since Paine had joined the academy at the start of the, same as Riku, there'd been a deep animosity between the two, though only they knew why.

"We've made our terms very clear. And I don't intend to submit." Sora perked his eyebrow and shifted his head.

"What are you…?" He shrugged and slid off the table. He fell into adjacent chair and relaxed.

"Eep! S-Sora-kun!" He leaped out of the chair immediately, rubbing his neck abashedly to the sound of laughter.

"Shut up, Riku," he mumbled, "You too, Zell. Uh, sorry, Hinata; I didn't see you there."

"Oh, u-umm, th-that's…umm…ok…," midway through, Sora'd lost interest and headed down the aisles. _Big surprise... _She sighed and put her head on the table, resigned to dutifully awaiting the start of class. Kairi took the seat next to her and tried to start a conversation. But, for no reason at all, Paine snarled at her. The two exchanged glances for a second before Kairi followed suit and lowered her head.

Behind them, Sora and Zell had pulled up their own chairs and sat quietly against the back wall, as there was nothing left to say; Iruka had risen and in his hands rested the Gennin placement results. Everything was falling in to place; their journies were about to—

"Wait a minute, you guys," Sora said, "Where's Ale?"

* * *

_A/N:__ Aaaaand, here's a good place to stop. For anybody who's read the original, this part ended later, but with the extra plots introduced in this chapter, there was only so much I could manage. Oh, and next chapter is the end of the introductions. _


	3. A quick update and apology to all

Just a heads-up to anyone out there who is still looking forward to this or any of my other stories; I am, in fact, still working on these. I've been in the process of organizing my thoughts more fully as to better prepare for the story that I'm trying to portray. This Page will be deleted soon to make way for some Actual story progression. A heartfelt apology and sincere gratitude to any and all past/present/or future readers,

Renteka-Bond.


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